Captain Francis Johnston

By Professor Arthur R. LaBrew

Selected Works of Francis Johnson

PREFACE – This biography of Francis Johnson (1792-1844) was begun I 1968. While pursuing sources concerning the early history of blacks musicians in Detroit, Michigan (contained in Studies in Nineteenth Century Afro-American Music, copyright, 1975), an item in the Detroit press mentioning Johnson seemed peculiarly out of place. Perhaps it was in the wording of the notice which was not the usual stock-in-trade advertisement by the press.

The Detroit advertisements, like many other cities, did not refer to Johnson’s race yet spoke highly of him in a manner which led the author to suspect that a very notable person was to be present at the Fourth of July celebration in 1839. A swift check of special files of he Burton Historical Collection in the Detroit Public Library revealed a second item which spoke of Johnson as being ‘colored.’ It was then that a connection between the name of Francis or ‘Frank’ Johnson, a common name, could be correlated with the Johnson mentioned in James Monroe Trotter’s excellent book, Music and Some Highly Musical People (Boston, 1878).

Most intriguing was the fact that Francis Johnson was appearing with the Buffalo Guards of Buffalo, New York. The question arose why a black bandsman from Philadelphia should be called upon to accompany a white unit and to a different city? Trotter’s limitations regarding Johnson’s biography are obvious and included only a few remarks some of which were erroneous. Other source books since that period rely principally on Trotter. It then seemed plausible that perhaps here was a hidden story which would compliment the researches of Trotter and also fill in a missing gap of the Afro-American legacy. Numerous trips to Philadelphia, Johnson’s adopted city, soon revealed enough information to realize that Johnson was an important figure n the history of early Philadelphia terpsichorean and military (=militia) activities.

The Johnson biography has been developed from facts found mostly in the newspapers of the time. The search meant a careful reading through the many newspapers of the period. Such a day by day perusal was tedious and often frustrating. It meant reading of events of musical (and social) significance which could not be incorporated in this study. However, the reading was useful for it helped the author focus on Johnson’s input in relation to other musical happenings.

In exposing this brief material, one should not be fooled by its compactness. The concentration has been directed solely on Johnson for he deserves his own biography. The lives of his contemporaries were of little concern if they could not be directly related to Johnson. This practice might seem a bit arbitrary and capricious on the part of the author but limitations had to be set. Secondly, since this study was not a dissertation or thesis for earning a degree, it was thought best to allow room for others to gather some of the omitted materials. The principal target was Johnson, who like many, important black musicians, was forgotten in musical discussions. Lastly, since few biographies exist of these early black musicians (see an earlier study, Elizabeth T. Greenfield, the Black Swan, 1969 by the author), a separate study devoted to Johnson seemed the most logical answer. Johnson’s name has been entirely omitted from the large musical dictionaries and shows their preoccupation with compiling easily assimilated facts (moreover using materials originally written by black writers but reinterpreted by white writers, viz.: Bruno Nettl on Negro Music in MGG, likewise Dominique René De Lerma’s article on R. Nathaniel Dett in the supplement to MGG). Often the dictionaries miss the boat for items of great interest [are] glossed over with many sweeping generalizations and without the necessary backup of complete documentation.

It is thought best to approach the Johnson biography with as much fact as possible since there was no single source from which to base other factual conclusions. This author has not overstated the case for Johnson’s musical achievements. In fact, one might see it as an understatement. Nevertheless, the author is not embarrassed by this understatement or development. In 1974, the author issued a preliminary study, Francis Johnson (1792-1844) which utilized materials taken from the fifth chapter of Studies. It was issued primarily to satisfy collectors and other interested people who wanted knowledge of Johnson. Unfortunately the actual writing style was done rapidly and errors in typing and editing were present. The author also discovered that some people wanted enough material about Johnson for less than honorable reasons. The author has since become wiser.

The issue of this publication corrects the faults of the earlier work and adds many new items in addition to the footnotes. It is unfortunate that the general public has had to wait until 1976, one hundred and thirty-six years after Johnson’s death to learn more of his unusual accomplishments more than any bandsman or musician, of the nineteenth century, Johnson is responsible for the immediate spark within black communities of the country for the development of musical performance. He was a greater bandsman [than] P. G. Lowry an important figure before the turn of the century and certainly a greater personality than Noel Clark Smith (died in Chicago in the 1930’s). As a musical innovator, he is, in this author’s opinion, a greater musical figure that Scott Joplin or W. C. Handy who made their contributions by writing in one musical genre and then use the same mold. Johnson incorporated many musical styles and created diversion for his audiences. This creativity was a marvel of the times.

Francis Johnson, musician, bandsman, dance leader, deserves perhaps a greater place in the annals of early American music history than this writer can assign. Time will yet tell if this opinion is correct. The reader will note (and probably with regret) that the author offers few criticisms from works of others who have written about Johnson. Their errors may be quickly corrected by quick comparison. Final conclusions concerning Johnson and his importance in relationship to accomplishments of his contemporaries still waits to be more fully explored. Arthur R. LaBrew Detroit, Michigan September, 1975

Second P R E F A C E – A Bicentennial Celebration Since first mentioning Johnson in our 1969 publication, Elizabeth T. Greenfield, The Black Swan, this writer has learned much more that is new in the Johnson biography. Surprisingly, some information comes after the 1936 Maude Cuney-Hare presentation but may still be considered slim in relationship to biographical matters. [1] Among such new materials should be mentioned an article by S. W. Thompson published in 1943 titled “From An Old Scrap Book.”

The second item was written during the 1955-67 period by none other than Leonard Ballou and published in his Handbook. In the former the writer extols Johnson in the following manner: "Frank Johnson seems to have been the foremost bandmaster of his day. His mentor says he was not only a well equipped musician but a man of wonderful magnetic musical personality. In addition to lauding Johnson, Thompson could also mention Johnson’s attractions at the Philadelphia Museum during the years 1838-1840 where the crowds were estimated into the “thousands.”"

This 1838-40 information, it seems, never entered Trotter’s account and was an entirely new recitation of fact. However, more expert testimony could be found in Ballou’s report. Ballou, a neglected but major music researcher especially during the 1950-1969 period, did the majority of his research while fulfilling a teaching contract. Although not setting himself forth as a “pioneer” in black music studies, he has been woefully omitted from “academia” through no fault of his own. New Orleans and Philadelphia have been described as musical centers of the 19th-century American Negro musicianship. For the Philadelphia scene, Francis Johnson, Sr., was the brightest star in that galaxy. Born in Philadelphia (one assumes), in 1792, of unknown parents, Frank, by the time of his death on Saturday morning, April 6, 1844, had accomplished much of which he could be proud. Moreover, his influence among Philadelphia’s Negro instrumentalists particularly, was to be felt as late as 1909. Francis Johnson is quite probably the 19th-century American Negro with the highest total of published compositions to his credit. He is probably the earliest published composer of his race and nationality; compositions of his appeared in print in 1818.

Francis Johnson is described as having been one of America’s most proficient performers on the “Kent” or keyed bugle. Early chroniclers felt that only such luminaries as Bandmaster Willis of West Point, or Edward Kendall, were Johnson’s equals as performers on the instrument. Frank probably could play every instrument in his band, but perhaps was more skilled on the French horn, trumpet and violin — besides, of course, his chief instrument.

Frank’s band was perhaps the first musical organization of Negroes to be associated with and perform for a military organization. He and his band began operations for the State Fencibles (a Philadelphia organization) in 1821, with a four-piece group. The Band ultimately reached at least 25 pieces, the men “equipped with green uniforms trimmed with gold,” military historian Lanard tells us.

Johnson’s Band was the performing group to hire for a social event of any consequence in Philadelphia. Long is the list of persons and organizations, high on the social ladder, for whom Frank and his men played. Rush, Cadwalader and Page are just a few family names of Johnson’s sponsors. The Philadelphia Public Ledger, during 1838 and 1839 especially, had many notices of Frank’s engagements. Nor was the group minus competition. There were quite a few contemporary bands, white and Negro, then performing in Philadelphia, and more than one was billed as “unrivalled.” One writer, not Negro, even rated a then well-known white band, according to standards set by Johnson’s group. Johnson’s Band flourished on its merit, not by default.

The band was a traveling group. It appeared from Pittsburgh to Doylestown and elsewhere, in Pennsylvania; it played in Detroit, in New York City (where the Band once was snubbed), in Rhode Island and in Boston. For quite a few of its trips, the State Fencibles were sponsors, and that group firmly supported Frank and his men even in the face of racial prejudice. Whose music (besides Johnson’s) did the Band play? Among other composers, Frank and his men performing (sic) Rossini, Meyerbeer, Strauss (the ‘Waltz King’), Bellini, Tolbecque, Auber, Mozart, Paganini, von Weber, and Haydn. Neither did Frank neglect home town talent. For instance, in the 1830s he featured a composition by Aaron J. R. Conner, a Negro, a member of the Johnson Band, and later a published composer and bandmaster in his own right. Frank’s own compositions are to be found in various libraries from Ohio to Virginia, and perhaps elsewhere. Quite a few of his pieces are in the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Perhaps, sometime in the future, his works will become more easily accessible to the general public. Perhaps some time in the future, his musical career will appear more prominently in the annals of America’s musical history. With this new knowledge about Johnson available but unused, many other efforts to introduce the Johnson story to others interested in musical Americana failed to gain a sympathetic ear. For example, The Music Index (Ms. Florence Kretchmeyer) turned down this writer’s 1976 manuscript pleading that its reviewer did not see any merit (Bruno Nettl of Indiana University was then the chief of the review staff). A letter from the editor of the Brass Quarterly summarily dismissed Johnson’s contribution but “was interested in any music he wrote for brass instruments!” This kind of hindrance in attempts to disperse information about Johnson trickled down and thus the well-known Detroit bandmaster, Leonard B. Smith, could give no representation to Johnson in his series of recordings on American band music (nor could he give any black musician space).

Our various lectures at the Free Library of Philadelphia (1976, 1979, 1986) continued to carry the Johnson banner while more research was gathered for a full-length biography. As a result many errors committed by writers purporting to give descriptions about Johnson have been duly corrected throughout this study. For example, the item of the “silver bugle,” ostensibly presented to Frank by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria of England, was first discussed in Martin Delany’s book with an additional statement concerning a “command performance before HRH, Queen Victoria in 1838.” In dismissing such considerations, we have used other data. For example, James Kendall from Boston, had the honor of receiving such as bugle from the Queen as well as has a command performance. Kendall’s bugle was lost when he drowned at sea. The Johnson biography is important! In the past few years, beginning about 1973, a growing interest in Johnson’s works as well as a complete biography has been recognized by a small faction of cognoscenti scattered around the United States.

Among these early aficionados can be included John Newsom and Elmer Booze (Library of Congress, music division), Cynthia Hoover (Smithsonian Institute), Alfred Mandel (pianist, Washington, D. C.), Thornton Hagert (collector, Washington, D. C.), Manny Kean (iconographer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, deceased 1986), Sam Dennison (music curator, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Kurt Stein (military collector, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), the State Fencibles (commanding officer and other members), Edwin Wolf 2nd (Library Company of Philadelphia), Dr. Benjamin Quarles, Dr. Robert M. Stevenson, the Chestnut Brass Company Brass Band, Joseph A. Romeo John Dann, Clements Library (Ann Arbor, Michigan), James Renel Burden (dec.) and others too numerous to name. In creating the Johnson biography it is not always necessary to secure every contemporary document (which will eventually come to light in our future works).

There had been no significant mention of such a black nineteenth- century musical personality in American histories until the time of Ritter yet Johnson was signaled two years prior to Trotter’s account of 1878 by John Moore. In his “encyclopedia” parading a host of American musicians among others, he showed great latitude in mentioning a scattering of black music personalities including Johnson. Of him, he wrote: Frank Johnson

“A celebrated colored musician, and performer on the Kent bugle; his reputation was not confined to this country; in 1834 [sic] he visited Europe with his band and gave a series of concerts in London; he afterwards made the tour of the United States performing in all the large cities, died New York [sic] April 5 [sic], 1844.”

Although necessarily brief, Moore, nonetheless, is the first to credit Johnson, nationally speaking, even though not with entire accuracy. The heralding of Moore as a writer of music personalities should have been exposed much earlier and perhaps the Johnson legend might have taken wings prior to this century. It has taken a long time to firmly put Johnson’s full imprint into the Afro-American music history and an even longer time into American music dictionaries. As a leading American musician, his memory deserves to be elevated into the international arena as Moore sought to do in 1876. The readers in today’s generation and in the future should be aware, however, of “synthetic” accounts about black personalities from the pens of untrained researchers or mere reciters of history.

Although many profited from our initial detailing of Johnson’s life, they have been reluctant to give credit to our initial discoveries. A detailed comparison with our earlier discoveries will reveal the depth of that gratitude. Johnson left no biography and from the hundreds of documents of the time only a sketch can be fashioned. Our claim admits that there are still certain knotty problems connected with the Johnson story which need a better exposition. However, we have attempted to weld the most essential kernels of information into a true historical presentation and hope that those enjoying this brief episode will realize that Johnson was, indeed, a most singular Afro-American of the entire nineteenth century! Many writers using faulty materials attempted to explore the life of Johnson and concluded that he was born outside the United States. Thanks to the efforts of Joseph A. Romeo of Exton, Pennsylvania, his Philadelphia birth is secured thereby negating other attempts at crediting countries outside continental United States. Romeo has also given us invaluable aid in other matters including final corrections duly acknowledged within the body of this work. To him belongs an immeasurable esteem.

Concerning the many episodes of Afro-American history life during Johnson’s lifetime, we have omitted much explanatory information. To knowledgeable readers those episodes may be examined in existing Afro-American history literature (for example, the capture of the Amsted). There is no need to encumber the Johnson biography with that material unless he is directly involved.

In this biography, Francis Johnson is not treated as a composer of African-derived music but as an Afro-American composer, performer and musician. This fact may seem to be enigmatic yet it can be easily explained. Johnson essentially earned most of his commissions from an elite audience which recognized his uniqueness. He therefore catered to these auditors rather than the “lower class.” In so doing, he subjected himself less to the crudities of the latter (Irish, black or other). As a consequence he was forced to be current in his musical presentations for the upper classes. However, he did not totally discard his ethnicity without reason and this biography refrains from such innuendoes.

The year 1992 marked the two-hundredth anniversary of Johnson’s birth. As an American patriot, he sparked a nation-wide salute in Detroit, Michigan in 1839. Detroit honored this celebration beginning in Black History Month, 1992 with an exhibition. It is hoped that a national celebration will mark this event and his achievements, heralded throughout much of the nation.

SECOND P R E F A C E

In this second edition dedicated to the history of this black genius of the 19th century additional materials about his musical activities allow for a greater expansion of themes found in the first edition. In addition, Volume 2, “Collected Works of Francis Johnson” includes all known examples of music from his pen. It cannot be called “The Complete Works” for material might still be discovered.[1] We have searched prudently for nearly thirty years and the quantity of his works has been greatly enriched by new manuscript findings. Then, too, new music examples bearing his name on the covers have been unearthed reflecting the scope and breadth of the treatment he received from other music writers of the period.

New information (articles, electronic media, etc.) after the publication of Volume 1 (1994) has failed to extend the scope of Johnson importance. For instance, Samuel Floyd’s International Dictionary of Black Composers (1998) sought to give attention to Johnson. However, his appeal to this writer fell on deaf ears because of an inordinate amount of errors which he submitted. Then, too, Floyd unwisely fell into the trap of attempting to recognize Johnson in relation to his music appearances with white society contrasting greatly with the supportive information in volume 1 which detailed his activities among his own ethnic group. In his communication to this writer regarding the new materials to which he had access he remarked “Any one could have done what you did.” Floyd obviously did not realize that our work was done under the careful supervision of such important renown sheet music collectors such as Manny Kean or Kurt Stein and had the expert cooperation of Edwin Wolf IV (whose tolerance for mediocrity was often withering). It is doubtful that Floyd and others could have gained the confidence of such valued associates. Nevertheless, Floyd’s presentation (under the banner of Stephen Charpie) failed to utilize the vast amount of material in our volume. Their only concession was utilizing the baptism and birth of Johnson and a miserable and embarrassingly inaccurate attempt at cataloging Johnson’s works.

The next to highlight Johnson was an article by one Eric Gardner “Francis Johnson in American National Biography Online August 2003” in which he incorrectly credited Charpie with discovering the birth and baptism material of Johnson (Joseph Romeo). His interpretation then invented such items as “he married Helen Appo (sister of his band mate William Appo), but the date is unknown” invites ridicule because it was entered into our study fully documented! In Charpie’s presentation, he too embellished the biography by attributing Johnson’s Princeton March as a part of Johnson’s success at Princeton University. Our presentation had proved that this work was done in connection with the christening of the ship Princeton. In another instance, Charpie, if he really wrote the article, did not read the Johnson biography carefully because it had also been proved in our previous studies that an event of the “so-called” 50 piece orchestra of 1841 at which time the presention of Haydn’s Creation really took place in 1845! We fail to understand this “miracle” a year after Johnson’s death! Thus Charlie’s information in Floyd’s article is flawed and shows him to be a person not only of “limited resource and sagacity” but untrustworthy in research techniques.

With such bad efforts, it is not surprising that Johnson’s biography has not been properly evaluated especially in view of the remarks of the eminent Robert M Stevenson: [Quote] “Far from being merely a biography of Francis Johnson (b. Philadelphia, June 16, l792; d. Philadelphia April 6, 1844), the John Philip Sousa of his generation, this book is the most detailed and fact-filled account of any United States musician of any race active to 1850, thus far pub­lished. Because of the density of LaBrew's documenta­tion, his volume sheds new light on nearly every phase of USA music history, 1800-1850.” Stevenson’s remarks are of great insight because little biography of America’s leading bandmasters have been attempted. Thus his equation with the famous Sousa was, indeed, a wake-up call!

However, many new contributors attempting to write on the life of Johnson seemingly neglect the effort he put forth as a black musician within a generally hostile society. While one may expect his contributions to reflect his familiarity with white society, his efforts to show the worth of using black musicians has seemingly escaped attention in modern publications. That “black society” has remained uninformed about him may be partially excused because those entering the performing area are usually concerned with their “particular” effort and therefore uninterested in their earlier precursors. Therefore they and their students are denied the historical perspective they need when speaking of music making during the various periods of music change. Johnson deserves a special monument for his achievements before mid nineteenth century. The question now remains “Who will be the new griots” to carry the Johnson legacy throughout the next century?"

Johnson's music is rather formidable and clearly indicates that he was a virtuoso during this early American period! Although he did not have an opportunity to compete with white virtuosos such as Kendall, et al., nevertheless he must have possessed a pleasing tone, probably brilliant when performing in parades, and an exceptional technique for the period. In discussing the music of Francis or Frank, one easily recognizes that his style is seemingly simplistic. One should not be fooled for most of the music of the period was probably performed with additions not indicated in the piano scores that remain. In some scores, however, Frank designates certain instrumentation – “horns,” clarinets, etc., in certain places. Thus we have a more general idea of his utilization of instrumental techniques.

The music of Johnson in the second volume is published by genre: songs, dances, specialized dances such as cotillions, waltzes, marches (original) or marches (based on other composers themes), marches (for special occasions), etc. We are fortunate that our publication is the first to publish the entire music manuscripts located at the Library Company of Philadelphia, courtesy of Edwin Wolf IV. Each section is prefaced by a commentary. A.R.L.

Contact Information
Arthur R. LaBrew, Founder/Editor in Chief
Michigan Music Research Center, Inc.
Michigan Building—Suite 840
220 Bagley Ave.
Detroit, Michigan 48226
313-655-4494
Email: Detroitmusic1865@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.citizensforaconstitutionalrepublic.com/MMRC_Cover_9.html